Mrs Taiwo Momoh

A magistrates’ court sitting at Ebute-Metta, Lagos State, has discharged and acquitted Mrs. Taiwo Momoh, the textile dealer who was arrested while attempting to jump into the Lagos Lagoon.

After her arrest, Mrs. Momoh told her story. She said she had accumulated debts up to the tune of N18 million after a bureau de change operator fled with money belonging to her Swiss creditor. It was out of frustration that she attempted suicide at the Lagos lagoon but was rescued by passers-by and handed over to operatives of the Rapid Response Squad.

She was later transferred to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department where she was detained for three days .The case was subsequently charged to court by the Lagos State Ministry of Justice.

On Thursday, when the matter came up for hearing at the magistrate’s court, Mrs. Momoh, who, during her first arraignment said she could not give any reason why she attempted suicide, was represented by two counsels namely Messrs F.A. Azeez and Eniolu Disu, both from the office of the Public Defender.

The presiding Magistrate, Tajudeen Elias, after skimming through the advice in the case file provided by Mrs. A.T. Olaleye, a prosecutor from the State Ministry of Justice on behalf of the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP), dismissed the charges.

“By the DPP’s advice, the defendant is hereby discharged and acquitted,” Justice Elias said.

A mild drama however ensued after her discharge. Mrs. Momoh stepped out of the dock, knelt down in the court and started praising God.